United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) has announced the commencement of direct commercial flights on the Lagos–Accra and Abuja–Accra routes, and unveiled an aircraft named after the late Ghanaian President, Jerry John Rawlings, in recognition of his Pan-African ideals and influence on regional integration.
According to a statement from the airline, its chairman, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, who led a mock departure and arrival inspection exercise at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday, said the new routes signal UNA’s transition from a domestic operator into a stronger West African player.
He confirmed that members of the Rawlings family would attend the formal unveiling ceremony in Accra.
Okonkwo disclosed that UNA is expanding its fleet by six aircraft over the next few months, a move he said will deepen aviation access within ECOWAS, boost people-to-people exchange, support trade flows, and provide Nigerian travellers with homegrown options instead of relying almost exclusively on foreign carriers that currently dominate regional routes.
However, he expressed concern over Nigeria’s heavy aviation tax structure, describing the country as “one of the most over-taxed aviation jurisdictions in Africa”.
He disclosed that while Ghana’s passenger service charge at international terminals is $60, Nigeria’s is $100.
On a Lagos–Accra return ticket, he said, taxes alone can exceed $116 before other surcharges, creating high fares that passengers regularly complain about.
Okonkwo estimated that more than 200,000 passengers fly the Lagos–Accra corridor yearly, noting that even before UNA’s maiden flight, market response was already visible.
“Before we announced Accra operations, only one airline was doing Abuja–Accra direct. Just by our entry, fares dropped almost 50 per cent. That is the value of Nigerian participation,” he said.
He also stressed that Nigerian aviation safety standards meet some of the highest global benchmarks, with pilots recertified every 6 months, compared to the 12-month cycle in Europe and the United States.
Okonkwo urged the government to reduce tax pressures and provide single-window aviation financing to accelerate growth.
“There is no trillion-dollar economy without flight connectivity. Aviation is the enabler; if people cannot move, commerce cannot expand,” he said.
